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5 Ingredient Homemade Caramel Squares

IN PRAISE OF THE MEDJOOL DATE

May I take a moment to applaud a certain member of the palm family? If fruit is nature's candy, then the Medjool date is nature's gummy bear, and I mean that in the best possible way. Medjool dates are exceptionally sweet little things, with the vast majority of their nutritive value coming from naturally-occurring glucose and fructose. That means that they can be used to make sweet treats in a natural, no-processed-sugar way.

Which brings us to this caramel recipe: these chewy, decadent little treats are wonderfully addictive and, as a bonus, are high in fibre and potassium. Who doesn't want fibre and potassium in their caramel? In all honesty, anyone I've ever served these to has fallen desperately in love with them - and you will too!

Ingredients

1 cup pitted Medjool dates

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 cup tahini

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

Place all ingredients in a food processor, and process for 3-5 minutes, until the mixture becomes very smooth and ball-like. The entire mixture should stick together like a ball in the food processor: if it is not, keep processing until it does.

The heat from the food processor will liquify the coconut oil, so that it separates from the "ball." This is good. You want this to happen.

Press the "ball" into a parchment paper-lined loaf pan, pouring the liquified coconut oil on top.

Place the pan in the freezer for about an hour. The coconut oil will solidify, making a delicious coating. Remove from the pan, cut into squares, and enjoy!

Store the squares in the freezer for best results.

It's not pretty, but this is what the "ball" stage looks like. Note the melted coconut oil at the bottom.

Nicole loves food! She loves cooking, baking, grocery shopping, and just wearing her apron that sports a cupcake motif. For the most part she avoids processed and packaged foods and loves to create recipes based on her craving-of-the-day. Nicole is a longtime vegetarian (sometimes vegan) who lives in Calgary with her husband, two sons, and a male dog. Her testosterone-infused house is one full of meat-lovers, and she ties on that cupcake apron to incorporate her family’s love of meat into her own meatless meals. Vegetarian and vegan meals can be simple and delicious — and can easily be adapted for those who are on Team Carnivore.

Join Nicole as she divulges tips and tricks for creating meals, snacks, and desserts that appeal to the whole family, vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.